Long Beach groups ask magnate to stop proposed railyard

Unsatisfied with interactions with officials at the rail giant Burlington Northern Santa Fe — a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. — a number of neighborhood and environmental groups from West Long Beach and Wilmington are trying to go straight to the top.

The groups, who oppose the proposed creation of a $500 million railyard project on the border of Long Beach and Wilmington, have created a six-minute video that they sent last week to Buffett.

The video, in addition to arguing against the project and the adverse effects they say it will have on the nearby neighborhoods and schools, also asks Buffett to come and visit.

It has been posted on YouTube at http://bit.ly/Is15bx.

The group hopes Buffett, who has received positive coverage for his philanthropy and positions on taxes and health care, will be moved by their pleas.

"It's a positive message," said John Cross, president of the West Long Beach Association. "We just want someone to come out here. We've talked to BNSF, but they've done a full-court press (to pass the project)."

The video, which was culled from more than 50 hours of footage, according to Cross, features residents, activists, children, education and medical personnel arguing against the proposal.

Representatives from the groups, who call themselves the Green L.A. Port Working group, are also planning to go to Omaha, Neb., next week for a Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.

The groups have also attached a letter with the video. It says, in part: "We invite you to visit our community so that you can see for yourself just how unwise placing a railyard in our community would be rather than putting it on the Port's dock."

Cross says he sent a letter to Buffett nine months ago, and calls to Buffett's home offices have referred him to BNSF.

The 153-acre rail proposal has stirred considerable opposition in the neighborhood, which has been dubbed "the diesel death zone," and from Long Beach council members in adjacent areas. The Long Beach Unified School District is also opposed.

A draft environmental impact report on the proposal was submitted and a final report is expected in the summer.